Erika Johnsen

9/21/2011 4:05:00 PM - Erika Johnsen

President Obama's address to the United Nations this morning was such a wishy-washy, non-specific, moral-equivalency mish-mash of talking points, I was left unsure of whether he was positing an actual position. Yes, everybody wants peace, except the Palestinians, because Hamas wants to obliterate the Jews - and therein lies the biggest obstacle. But what are we going to do about it? He offered little in the way of a hardline stance. To quote from a tweet by Rep. Allen West this morning, the President just gave a "grandiose address to a body politic which has become playground for despots, dictators, & autocrats." Truth.

I thought that Obama's non-threatening, weak words left much to be desired, and apprently, so did Senator Orrin Hatch (R-Utah), who has just introduced legislation that would pull the United States' funding of the United Nations if they capitulate on the Palestinians' request. Strength:

WASHINGTON –U.S. Senator Orrin Hatch (R-Utah) announced today that he is introducing legislation, the Solidarity with Israel Act, which will eliminate U.S. funding for the United Nations if the Security Council or the General Assembly changes Palestine’s current status in the United Nations.

“Israel is one of America’s strongest allies and friends, a beacon of democracy in the Middle East,” said Hatch. “This vote undermines Israel’s security, and should the United Nations change Palestine’s current status, this legislation would prevent valuable American resources from funding the United Nations. Make no mistake, there will be consequences associated with efforts to undermine the security of America’s friends and allies.”

The Solidarity with Israel Act is designed not only to deter the Security Council from recommending Palestine become a new member state, but also to discourage the General Assembly from upgrading Palestine’s status. Any increase in Palestine’s status could directly impact the ability of the Palestinians to manipulate such UN-affiliated organizations as the International Criminal Court.